1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit breaker support insulator and, more specifically, to a consolidated circuit breaker support insulator and bus alignment piece.
2. Background Information
For certain enclosed circuit breaker configurations, external, socket busing was coupled to vertical busing at a circuit breaker support insulator assembly. The circuit breaker was enclosed in a housing assembly having a sidewall. The external socket busing, typically three buses, extended through an opening in the sidewall and each bus ended in a horizontal terminal. The sidewall opening was covered with a non-conductive bus alignment piece. The bus alignment piece included an opening for each socket bus. Each bus opening on the bus alignment piece was structured to place the bus that extended therethrough in the proper position for coupling with an associated horizontal bus. During installation, the bus alignment piece was coupled to the socket busing by passing the socket buses through the openings prior to positioning the horizontal terminals into the circuit breaker housing. The bus alignment piece was then coupled to the housing assembly by fasteners. Thus, each horizontal terminal was placed in the proper position to be coupled to the horizontal buses.
The horizontal terminals were also supported by a circuit breaker support insulator assembly within the circuit breaker housing assembly. The circuit breaker support insulator assembly included a generally planar, non-conductive member and a number of horizontal buses. The circuit breaker support insulator assembly also included two brackets, a first bracket structured to couple the planar, non-conductive member to the circuit breaker, and a second bracket structured to couple the planar, non-conductive member to the circuit breaker housing assembly. The planar, non-conductive member was coupled to each horizontal terminal by two fasteners. The planar, non-conductive member was typically structured to position two horizontal terminals on an upper side of the planar, non-conductive member and one horizontal terminal on the lower side of the planar, non-conductive member. The horizontal buses were structured to be coupled to the horizontal terminals and extend generally perpendicular thereto. The distal ends of the horizontal buses extended beyond the edge of the planar, non-conductive member and were generally aligned. The distal ends of the horizontal buses were structured to be coupled to the vertical buses. Each horizontal bus was coupled to the horizontal terminal by two fasteners. Thus, the prior art circuit breaker support insulator assembly and bus alignment piece included multiple components and an excessive number of fasteners.
There is, therefore, a need for a consolidated circuit breaker support insulator and bus alignment piece that requires fewer fasteners.
There is a further need for the consolidated circuit breaker support insulator and bus alignment piece to be compatible with prior art circuit breaker housing assemblies and socket buses.